Apparatus for oxidizing hydrocarbon oils



June 25, 1929. J. c. BLACK ET AL 1,718,679

Filed NOV. 1926 Q A k INVENTORS div/1v 6. BLACK AND Wm! R1111.

Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 0. BLACK, OFDESTREHAN, LOUISIANA, AND wm'r 1). man, or nos ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO PAN AMERICAN PETROLEUM COMPANY,

013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

AI'IE'ARATUS FOB, OXIDIZ ING HYDROCARBON OILS.

Application filed November 23, 1926. Serial No. 150,324.

()ur invention relates to means for treating products of hydrocarbon oils and it has particular reference to a device for producing a highgrad-e asphalt suitablefor any of the various purposes in the art.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, efficient and economical apparatus various characteristics of ductility. high melting point and viscosity, required by different branches of the individual arts, may be controllably imparted to a heavy residual oil separately or combinatively.

The invention consists of a container for the residual asphaltic product and of means for blowing the product with a fluid, as air, superheated steam, or any other desirable medium, in such manner that the mass of asphaltic residue within the container is maintained in a circulating motion and acted upon by the fluid employed. By the introduction of a fluid into the asphaltic residual product so that the entire mass is maintained in intense circulatory agitation, a thorough action of the introduced iluid upon the asphaltic product ispossible with the result that the final product is uniform.tln'ougliout.and possesses all the qualifications required.

A form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing. in which Fig. 1, is a sectional elevation showing our invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view. Referring partirularly to the form of embodiment of the invention shown, 1 indicates a still, suitably supported over a furnace and provided with vapor take-nits. of any approved type, such as shown at 3. Projecting through the upper portion of the still :2 is a plurality of fluid delivery pipes or nozzles l and a respectively, the open ends of which are disposed near the bottom of the still and prefer ably at points opposite the still shell approximately forty-five degrees to and at both sides of the vertical central plane of the still. Thatis, the nozzles direct streams oi": fluid at angles of tortyfive degrees to the center vertical plane of the still. These pipes or nozzles 4 and 5 are provided throughoutthe longitudinal extent of the still and the respective ends thereofl-lie in ditlerenttransverse planes. The asphaltic material in the still is maintained in agitation and circulation by fluid or fluids issuing fromthe pipes or nozzles 4 and. 5, each of which directs a jet of fluid into the material under treatment, thereby agitating and continuously circulating the entire mass of material and at the same time effectively oxidizing the mass while liberating and driving off the volatile portions; The agitation and circulation of the material by the jetted fluid or fluids also continuously removes the material from the bottom or heated area of the still, whereby none of the mass is exposed to prolonged heat. The pipes or nozzles l and 5 respectively, are preferably connected to a Y-fitting 6 and a T 7 provided with clean-out plugs 6 and .7 respectively, and the branches 6" and 7" of which fittings 6 and 7 are connected to pipes 8 and 9, having valves 8' and 9 for shutting oif the air from a low pressure air supply 10. High pressure air and steam may be supplied to said pipes 8 and 9 respectively, on the nozzle side of the shut oiis 8" and 9' from a suitable source of supply 11 and 12, respectively, by means of pipes 13 and 14, and 15 and 16, respectively, provided with valves 13 and l t and 15 and 16. Pipes 1 and 14, respectively, connect with a'pipe 17 and pipes 15 and 16, respectively, connect with a pipe 18. Pipes 1? and 18 are provided with valves 1'4" and 13', respectively.

lly means of the high pressure air pipe. and the steam pipe, the velocity of the jets issuing from thenozzles or pipes 4 and 5, may be regulated as required, and the nature or character of the jets modified according to. the

material acted upon. High pressure air and steam, either singly or combined, may be cmploycd to clean out the nozzles or pipes 4e and As a result oi the positioning of the jets in the still, circulatory currents are set up in the still, all parts of the liquid therein being subjected to the action of the injected fluid and to the heat supplied to the still. The fluids issuing from pipes 4 and 5 are under the same pressure and under the same hydrostatic head, thereitore, the currents of air and fluid issuing from the nozzles will pass up- Wardly along the surface of the heated portion of the still towards .the center, carrying with it the liquid lying adjacent to these heated surfaces. On reaching the upper level of the liquid in the still, the' injected fluid is released, carrying with it light products which pass through pipe 3. The unvaporized portion of the liquid falls back through the center of the still, back to the bottom. This circulation, therefore, sets up two currents, shown schematically in the drawing in Fig. l by the arrows. This double circulation downward through the center of the still Will insure uniforn'i heating of the liquid in the still and uniform exposure of the product to the injected fluids. In operating on asphalt, this treatment enables the obtaining of higher melting points and also products having desirable ductilities.

The independent'control of the nozzles in the still permits, of exact control of the operation in said still. If any one of the nozzles should become blocked by accumulation of material therein, the air would obviouslycease movingthrough said nozzle and the nozzle would heat up to the temperature of the material in the still. By observation of the temperature of these nozzles, it is therefore possible to determine which of these are not functioning, and either more air may be turned on by opening the valves to force the desired amount of air through the nozzles, or they may be blown out with steam. This, it will be seen, is a great advantage over perforated central pipes wherein no control of the nozzles by their perforations is obtainable. Another feature of this invention resides in the use of straight pipes, 4. and 5, as nozzles. Should it become impossible to blow out or steam out any of the nozzles, plugs 6' and 7 can be removed and a rod poked through the nozzles to clean the same. Theforty-five degree elbow is short and affords no obstacle to this method of cleaning.

' The above is not to be taken as limiting our invention, but merely as illustrative of the best manner of carrying out our invention, which we claim to be: i

1. An apparatus of the kind described, a still, a plurality of substantially straight pipes spaced longitudinally of said still, one end of said pipes being situated near the bottomzone of said still and directed at an angle to the vertical plane through the center of said still and situated on one side of said vertical plane, a plurality of substantially r.

pipes being situated on the other side of said vertical plane, and removable closures at the other end of said pipes, and valved inlets to said pipes.

2. A device for treating asphaltie mate- .rial comprising a still provided with a vapor take-off, a plurality of fluid delivery pipes extending through the upper part of the still, and arranged in spaced relation throughout the longitudinal extent thereof, the open ends of said pipes disposed near the bottom of the still on both sides of the vertical cen tral plane of the still and at an angle of approximately 45 to said plane, a source of air supply, and valved means to convey the air from said source to said pipes.

3. Adevice for treating asphaltic material comprising a still having a vapor outlet, a plurality of pipes extending through the upper part of said still and to near the bottom thereof, the end'of said pipes disposed at points adjacent the still on both sides of the vertical central plane of the still and at an angle of approximately 45 to said plane, a low pressure air supply, and valvedmeans connecting said pipes and low pressure air supply.

4. A device for treating asphaltie mate- .rial comprising a still having a vapor outlet,

a-plurality of pipes extending through the. upper part of said still and to near the bottom thereof, the ends of said pipes disposed at points adjacent the still on both sides of the vertical central plane of the still and at an angle of approximately 45 to said plane, a low pressure air supply, valved means connecting said pipes and low pressure air supply, a high pressure air supply, and a steam supply, and valved means connected with said pipes to admit high pressure air or steam. I

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures.

JOHN C. BLACK. \VIR-T l). RlAL. 

